AN INVESTIGATION is underway after a metal footbridge collapsed.

Residents of Chorlton Street and Wesley Street, Blackburn, awoke yesterday morning to find the footbridge over Blakewater stream collapsed.

One end of the bridge had come away from its abutment and plummeted into the ditch.

Blackburn with Darwen Council said the cause of the collapse was under investigation.

Council officers went to the scene yesterday morning after they received a call about the footbridge, which is used by pedestrians as a short cut.

It is believed that the bridge collapsed after the wall beneath end gave way.

A team of bridge engineers have fenced off the bridge, which was replaced by the council in 2003, and will investigate.

The council said the current wet weather made it difficult to say how long the investigation will take.

Coun Alan Cottam, Blackburn with Darwen Council’s executive member for regeneration and environment, said: "We were told about the collapse of the Wesley Street footbridge this morning. Our first action was to put up fences at the site to protect the public.

"We will now investigate what has happened. This may take time, as we need to wait for the water level in the Blakewater to go down before we can inspect the bridge."

Bastwell ward Coun Iftakhar Hussain said: “The footbridge is very well used by people in the area, so this will inconvenience quite a lot of them, they will have to go the longer way around.

“There has been no problem with the bridge before.”